The Conscious Kitchen

The new way to buy and cook food—to protect the earth, improve your health, and eat deliciously

Your everyday food choices can change the world—and make meals taste better than ever. For anyone who has read The Omnivore’s Dilemma or seen Food, Inc. and longs to effect easy green changes when it comes to the food they buy, cook, and eat, The Conscious Kitchen is an invaluable resource filled with real world, practical solutions.

Alexandra Zissu walks readers through every kitchen-related decision with three criteria in mind: what’s good for personal health, what’s good for the planet, and what tastes great. Learn, among other things, how to:

Keep pesticides, chemicals, and other harmful ingredients out of your diet

Choose when to spend your dollars on organic fruit and when to buy conventionally grown

Avoid plastic—including which kinds in particular and why

Figure out what seafood is safe to eat and is sustainable

Use COOL (country of origin labels) to your advantage

Determine if a vegetable is genetically modified just from reading its PLU (price look up) code

Decipher meat labels in the supermarket

Cook using the least energy—good for the earth and your wallet

Eat locally, even in winter

Understand what “natural” and other marketing terms really mean

Buy packaged foods wisely

Navigate farmers’ markets, giant supermarkets, and every shop in between to find the freshest and healthiest local ecologically grown and produced meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables—no matter where you live With The Conscious Kitchen as your guide, you will never again stand in the market bewildered, wondering what to buy. You can feel confident you are making the best possible choices for you, your family, and our planet.

Reviews

“Think of The Conscious Kitchen as a nuts and bolts guide that helps make sense of the many things we consume without questioning, but probably know we should.” –Deborah Madison

“It could easily become as thumbed-through and trusted a resource for conscious cooks as Mastering the Art of French Cooking was for home cooks.” –LeitesCulinaria.com

“Zissu covers appliances, pots and pans, dealing with waste, and vetting your storage containers for toxins with a straightforward, non-judgmental tone that makes it all seem do-able. Her “some is better than none” philosophy means you can take on the suggestions that fit your life without feeling guilty about the ones you leave behind. An indispensable book for anyone looking to eat and cook more sustainably.” –The Associated Press

“One good book…take it along to the market with you and it will prove to be invaluable.” –The Detroit Press “[A] great book…well researched and thorough and there is nothing preachy or doctrinaire about the writing….It’s filled with all kinds of useful information, like short tips about everything from fishing to making your own pasta, to lists for further reading on many topics, to sources for ingredients and organic beer.” –Treehugger.com

“[A] $13.99 paperback with so much information that it almost opens itself and reads to you.” –The Lakeland Ledger

“Concise…[and] eminently readable.” –The Montreal Gazette

“Looking for simple ways to be good to the environment and your bod? The Conscious Kitchen…offers how-to’s on cutting energy bills, avoiding pesticides in food, and whipping up tasty, healthy meals.” –Health Magazine